Emiratis take the UAE Flag to space, the South Pole and the highest peaks
For over 20 years, Emiratis have proudly raised the UAE Flag in space, at the South Pole and on numerous peaks around the world. The most recent and remarkable event was when Emirati astronaut Dr Sultan Al Neyadi raised the flag outside the International Space Station (ISS) in September 2023.
Here are some of the places where the UAE flag has been raised:
June 3, 2024 (Himalayas, Nepal)
The UAE team, led by adventurer Saeed Al Mamari, succeeded in raising the UAE flag and the slogan "Raise it high, raise it with pride" at the highest marathon summit in the world, the Everest Marathon in the Himalayas of Nepal, which is the highest race in the world (at an altitude of 5,463 meters). Notably, the youngest runner in the challenge, Emirati Ghaith Al Mamari (15 years old), secured first place in the under-18 category, completing 42 kilometers in a time of 7 hours, 2 minutes, and 39 seconds. The champions of the UAE Summit Challenge also topped the marathon, which featured 177 runners from over 33 countries.
December 3, 2023 (Solden Mountain Summit)
The UAE skiing team raised the UAE flag at the summit of Solden Mountain in the Austrian resort of Solden at an altitude of 3,040 metres. This annual tradition is part of the team’s practice of raising the flag on snowy peaks, celebrating the 52nd UAE National Day.
December 2, 2023 (Summit of Everest)
Adventurer Khaled Al Harami managed to raise the UAE flag high after taking on the challenge of reaching the summit of Everest. He stated: "An adventurer in every corner of the earth is an ambassador for their homeland. Any success we achieve is a success for the land that has provided us with care, attention, safety, and security, allowing us to realise our ambitions and goals, which are part of our nation’s journey and progress. My participation as an adventurer in various international and local events and raising the flag high is a simple expression of my gratitude to my generous homeland."
November 7, 2023 (Summit of Everest)
The first Emirati team reached the "Everest Camp," where four young citizens raised the national flag at the Everest Base Camp, the highest camp in the world at an altitude of 5,364 meters above sea level, after a nine-day trek, making them the first Emirati team to reach the highest camp.
July 16, 2023 (Summit of Everest)
Emirati adventurer Saeed Al Mamari climbed 102 of the highest peaks on Earth, raising the UAE flag to become the first Emirati to summit Everest, the first Emirati adventurer to join the global explorers list on Wikipedia, and the first Emirati to climb the highest peaks on the continents, carrying a message of peace and tolerance along with the UAE flag, which became the first flag to be raised on these summits.
2023 (Outside the International Space Station (ISS))
Last September 2023, when HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE; received the flag from Astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi during a homecoming reception, Al Neyadi said: “I am thrilled to share the exciting news that our national flag has made its way to space for the second time, but this time, it ventured beyond the confines of the space station”.
2022 (Mount Kilimanjaro peak)
Ten Emirati women climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, located in northeastern Tanzania, with a height of 5,895 metres above sea level. They hoisted the UAE flag on the peak, after a challenging six-day journey. The trip was organised by Majalis Abu Dhabi and aimed to spread positive values, such as teamwork, determination, and persistence.
2022 (Mount Elbrus in Russia)
Abdullah Al Muhairbi, an Emirati engineer, created history after he raised the UAE flag atop the highest peak in Europe, which is the 5,642-metre Mount Elbrus in Russia.
2021 (Mount Aragats in Armenia)
Emirati adventurer, Saeed Al Maamari, scaled the highest peak in Armenia, Mount Aragats in Aragatsotn Province, under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, and with the support of the Youth Welfare Fund in the Government of Fujairah.
2019 (the peaks of Jais, Hafeet, Umm Al Nosour, Mebrah, Al Rabi, Shawka, and Masfut)
The expedition team at the Police Physical Education Centre of the Abu Dhabi Police raised the UAE flag on seven mountain peaks to celebrate the UAE Flag Day 2019. These are Jais, Hafeet, Umm Al Nosour, Mebrah, Al Rabi, Shawka, and Masfut. The average peaks the team climbed and flagged range from 442 to 1,935 metres above sea level.
2019 (Raised high in space during Hazza Al Mansouri’s journey)
Hazza Al Mansoori, the first Emirati astronaut, carried the UAE flag into space on his historical mission as part of the National Space Programme, on 25 September 2019. The flag was hoisted at the ISS in the duration of Al Mansoori’s mission. It served as a source of inspiration to confirm that the dream and ambition towards space became a reality. This represented the flag’s historical journey from rising on the pole in front of the Union House to flying high in space, signifying the achievement of the UAE’s dream and ambition.
2018 (the South Pole)
Emirati nationals Abdullah Mohammed BelObaida Al Suwaidi and Ahmed Ismail raised the UAE flag and the ‘Year of Zayed’ slogan in the South Pole, during an eight-day trip.
2018 (Mount Gran Paradiso, the highest mountain in the Alps in Italy)
Three students, Sheikh Faisal Al Qasimi, Sultan Al Kandari, and Pranjal Pachani, from Repton School Dubai, raised the UAE flag on top of Mount Gran Paradiso, which is the highest mountain in the Alps in Italy.
2016 (Denali Mountain in Alaska)
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Thani, Chairman of the Sharjah Department of Statistics and Community Development (DSCD) and renowned mountaineer and adventurer, successfully raised the UAE flag at the top of the world’s seven summits. Achieving his incredible feat, Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani became one of just 350 mountaineers in the world who have conquered the Seven Summits, with his impressive success cemented when he reached the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America. In completing this final challenge, Sheikh Mohammed started his journey from the UAE in May 2016, reaching the summit of Denali - which is 6,190m above sea level – after 28 days, where he proudly raised the UAE flag.
Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani began his journey of climbing the world's tallest peaks in on 27 October 2009 when he arrived with a group of his friends to the Everest base camp at an altitude of 5,364 meters. Adventurers from around the world consider it a starting point to reach the highest peak in the world. From there, he took it upon himself to undertake the challenge of reaching the Seven Summits.
Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani successfully raised the UAE flag atop Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, on 25 October 2010. He followed this first Seven Summits success with the scaling of Mount Vinson in Antarctica, reaching its peak on December 25, 2011. On August 28, 2012, Sheikh Mohammed reached the peak of Mount Elbrus in Europe, and on October 11, 2012, he summited Mount Kosciuszko, Australia. On January 5, 2013, he reached the summit of Mount Aconcagua, South America.
Sheikh Mohammed’s penultimate success was the mounting of Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world, the summit of which he reached on May 22, 2013. Thus, he had reached six summits, and the last one remaining was Mount Denali, Alaska, North America, which he achieved in June 2016.
2015 (South Pole)
5 Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) employees embarked on an expedition to one of the coldest and most isolated parts of the world, joining the 2041 Antarctica Expedition to highlight the effects of global warming, climate change, and the need to protect the South Pole.
(2015-2018) (Denali Mountain in Alaska, USA)
Hanadi Al Hashemi became the first Emirati woman to reach the summit of the Denali Mountain in Alaska, USA, which is the highest in North America. Before that, she raised the UAE flag and signed her name on the peaks of nine of the highest mountains in the world.
2015 (UAE flag - Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Mount Everest base camp, and Kala Patthar in Nepal)
In less than three years, Hanadi successfully climbed over 10 mountains around the world and hoisted the UAE flag on their peaks. She started with Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in February 2015, then Mount Everest base camp and Kala Patthar in Nepal in November of the same year.
2016 (UAE flag - Ben Nevis and Snowdon in the UK, Elbrus in Russia, Gran Paradiso in Italy, and Aiguille du Midi in France)
2107 (UAE flag – Aconcagua in Argentina and Denali in Alaska, USA, which is the highest in North America at 6,190 meters)
In 2016, Hanadi reached the peaks of many mountains, including Ben Nevis and Snowdon in the UK in May, then Elbrus in Russia in July, then Gran Paradiso in Italy and Aiguille du Midi in France in September. In January 2017, Hanadi climbed Aconcagua. In June of the same year, she climbed Denali in Alaska, USA, which is the highest in North America at 6,190 meters.
2010 (Cho Oyo and Mera peaks of the Mount Himalaya)
The Emirati Lt. Colonel Salah Salim Al Habsi has placed, for the first time, the UAE flag on Cho Oyo (8,200 meters) and Mera (6,654 meters) peaks of the Mount Himalaya on Nepal side, to mark the UAE’s National Day. The temperature on these peaks reaches -25 degrees Celsius.